Jovanovic: Calls for the destruction of Serbian monuments as preparation of Albanian public opinion for conflict

Historian Luka Jovanovic warns that calls made through social media for Albanians to desecrate the monument to Milos Obilic in the center of Gracanica and the monument to Prince Lazar in North Mitrovica represent a very dangerous message of hatred toward Serbs and, in a way, prepare Albanian public opinion, especially the youth, for potential conflicts. The desecration of these monuments, he points out, is meant to send a clear message to the Serbian people about how Albanians confront Serbs.

Jovanovic recalls that similar messages were spread among Albanians in the lead-up to the March Pogrom of 2004.

"Such narratives on social media are targeted at the youngest, ultra-right-oriented population whose sole aim is to express hatred toward Serbs. I would call this the cooking of public opinion, simmering and preparing it for certain conflicts. If we look back 20 years, we will see that the March Pogrom began in a similar way—through the preparation of Albanian public opinion and the most extreme youth groups, supporters, for a confrontation specifically with Serbs," Jovanovic told Kosovo Online.

He notes that this time, social media has outlined what the first targets should be—two monuments located in the two most compact Serbian communities in Kosovo.

The desecration of these monuments, he reiterates, is meant to send a clear message to the Serbian people about how Albanians deal with Serbs.

He points out that the monument to Prince Lazar in North Mitrovica is a daily target of Albanians from the southern part of the city.

"They come and take photos with depictions of the double-headed eagle on their arms. A few days ago, the mural dedicated to the Heroes of Kosare, located just a few meters from the monument to Prince Lazar, was vandalized," he emphasized.

All of this, he adds, happens under the watchful eyes of the Kosovo Police, who, he claims, allegedly patrol and protect the population and key city facilities.

He also recalled that the monument to Milos Obilic in Gracanica was recently targeted by Albanian extremists.

"The Serbian flag in front of the monument has been burned several times, and just a few days ago, during the celebration of the so-called Albanian Flag Day, there was vandalism and rioting in Gracanica. This demonstrated force to the Serbs in Gracanica, signaling that, at some point, they could not only attack their monuments but also their homes, as was the case in March 2004," the historian stated.

The only entity capable of acting against such extreme moves by Pristina and Albanian nationalists is the international community, Jovanovic points out.

He emphasizes that expectations are placed on EULEX and KFOR to protect the Serbs, and also that social media platforms, such as TikTok, should use their mechanisms and policies to impose restrictive measures against those spreading messages of hatred.

"We must first expect EULEX and KFOR to protect the Serbs. At the same time, social media platforms should activate their mechanisms to remove content that calls for war, conflict, and interethnic hatred. Responsibility is multilayered. We must expect social media to sanction such pages promoting such actions. KFOR and EULEX must be ready at any moment because it is very possible for scenes from 20 years ago to repeat themselves," Jovanovic warned.

The historian observes that Albanians, on the other hand, are trying in every way to alter and caricature history, as well as to claim and declare Serbian and other non-Albanian cultural heritage in Kosovo as their own, particularly monuments, churches, and monasteries under UNESCO protection.

However, he notes, there are numerous contradictions in this approach, as exemplified by the case of Milos Obilic.

"Among their historians, politicians, and public figures, it is often claimed that Milos Obilic was Albanian. A month ago, an article was published, well-received in Pristina and Albania, claiming that Milos Obilic was Albanian. They emphasized that he was the last on Kosovo in 1389 who, out of defiance, drew a knife and killed the Turkish Sultan after the battle. This example illustrates the paradox in Albanian public opinion. They first claim Milos Obilic as Albanian, and then call for the destruction of his monument. This demonstrates not only the paradoxes within the Albanian nation but also that they lack a clear historical picture of their own existence," Jovanovic remarked.

In addition to attempting to alter the historical narrative and claim Serbian cultural heritage, Albanians, he stresses, aim to completely destroy and demolish certain monuments.
This is most evident, he says, with Serbian memorials and cemeteries.

"Many have been leveled to the ground. We have reports that efforts are being made to remove many monuments dedicated to Serbian soldiers from the Balkan Wars and World War I, as was the case in Pristina. Many Serbian cemeteries, as well as allied ones, have been destroyed. For instance, the allied cemeteries in Djakovica were covered with cement and turned into a parking lot, while the cemeteries of Serbs from Kosovo and Metohija were leveled and destroyed to the point where they no longer exist. Many cemeteries have been turned into farmland," Jovanovic observed.

He notes that the recent message sent via TikTok deserves a deeper analysis from a historical perspective.

The page from which the message was sent, "Kingdom of Dardania," is particularly interesting for examination, the historian assessed.

The very name of the page, he points out, is highly controversial and sends certain messages on its own.

He explains that Albanians have a long-term narrative in their public discourse that ties them to ancient tribes, specifically the Dardanians and Illyrians, and that they base their historical claim to Kosovo on the narrative that they are descendants of these ancient peoples.

"As confirmed, they lost their statehood and all aspects of their uniqueness as a people in antiquity, merging into the Roman world. Therefore, any connection to ancient peoples is absolutely impossible. There is no link between modern peoples and most ancient peoples, who largely became subjects of the Roman Empire, became Romanized, and lost their language, culture, and statehood," Jovanovic concluded.